About this project

$315,295

pledged of $250,000 goal

4,883

backers

This campaign is now completed, thanks to all our Kickstarter backers! For further information on Gramofon, visit www.gramofon.com.

Updates

Nearly Gone. Thank you for loving Gramofon. Unlike some projects, there is a limited quantity from our first factory run available here. If you don't pledge through Kickstarter you will have to wait for later batches of the Gramofon. We are confirmed:We ship the first batch in July! We even brought some to the Kickstarter Blockparty in NYC on Saturday. Check it out here.

Why Gramofon is the best party.

• Gramofon is connected through WiFi, so you just need to connect it to your existing stereo (and then dance).

• Your laptop or phone doesn’t need to be plugged into a stereo or "tethered" by Bluetooth.

• Your music won’t stop when you get a text, a call, a Tweet or a Facebook like (the way Bluetooth systems work).

• You can use it anywhere in your house, and it boosts your existing WiFi so you have WiFi coverage all over your house.

• Your family and friends can connect to Gramofon with their phone. Not one at a time, so they can DJ too!

Let's crowdsource Gramofon.

Gramofon comes from the team behind Fon, the world's largest WiFi network. The essence of Fon is people sharing WiFi with each other, and we have reached almost 13 million hotspots around the world doing just that--crowdsourcing WiFi.

In this same tradition, we want to crowdsource a new product we have been working on for over a year: the Gramofon. We are so excited tounveil the Gramofon directly to all of you through Kickstarter.

Gramofon: First Edition. White. Black.

How it works is simple.

1. Connect your Gramofon to the sound system or speakers of your choice.

2. Connect Gramofon to the Internet via ethernet or on your current WiFi.

3. Connect any Android or iOS phone to the Gramofon's WiFi signal.

4. Stream your favorite playlist from Spotify or listen to the free radio service powered by WahWah, all directly through the cloud.

The party is on! When your friends show up, you can all DJ together.

Connect. Stream. Listen.

Gramofon is the easiest way to get your music off of your phone and onto your sound system. Solo, or with friends.

Since WiFi means you can have many connections, with Gramofon you can have multiple people controlling your music together.

Gramofon does not depend on Bluetooth so your music doesn't cut out when you leave the room: WiFi isn't limited to a few feet of range, so your phone does not have to stay on the dance floor. The music plays on because it streams directly from the Gramofon.

When connected to Wifi, a green light appears.

Here it is connected to Ethernet.

As Seen On.

Techcrunch: Apple TV for your sound system.

The Verge:Streaming music through your home entertainment system should be simple, but..it’s a mess. Gramofon wants to solve that.

Gigaom:It uses Wi-Fi as a kind of authenticator for social music consumption.

CNET:The adorably-named Gramofon competes with audio and media streamers from the likes of Sonos and Roku.

The Next Web: Because Fon has plenty of experience in building routers, your friends can use the Gramofon to get WiFi too, without needing your password.

Elite Daily:No frat boys, no drunk dads, no creepy couples crowding the bar… just you, your friends and a guaranteed good time.

Daniel Ek, CEO Spotify

Tim O'Reilly, Founder and CEO O'Reilly Media

Why Kickstarter.

We think the world is going to love Gramofon as much as we do. But there is something we love even more: the gadget fans and dreamers who made Fon possible in the first place. The Foneros. You Foneros made our network the largest in the world because you wanted WiFi to be shared. We think you want to make share music in the same way too.

What began as a passion project turned into a much bigger thing: bringing social music to the masses, so you can listen to the Gramofon in your apartment, your dorm room, or anywhere else you want. We're just excited to keep on sharing the love (and hope you will share it too).

For those outside the US.

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that allows you to support the project you care about. And it's all or nothing! So if we don't reach the goal, we don't get anything.

Each backer can only pledge one reward. Here on Kickstarter, we are offering FIRST edition Gramofons WELL below retail price, exclusive to this campaign. So get one while you can!

Hot off the presses. Packaged and shipped off to YOU.

You get it first.

The factory is ready for the very first production run of the Gramofon ever. The project goal you see on this Kickstarter page is what it costs to get this first batch made.

As you can see, the Gramofon was a skunkworks project early on. The budget for the first production run comes from you, and all the units go to you. If you love them, we will pull in a lot more of the Fon team. In the meantime, be the first to get your hands on this product right off the press. This is the most valuable and least expensive it will ever be.

Right now, we have locked our first production run for 6500 units, set to ship in July. However, if we surpass our goal, more units means later delivery dates. We will handle that when the time comes. Until then, get in on that first 6500.

Featured music services we support.

Music services we plan to add.

And a big Japanese
music service. We are making an API so we can integrate any music service with Gramofon and we can support as many different providers as possible.

Featured technologies we support.

Qualcomm AllPlay is a product of Qualcomm Connected Experiences, Inc.

Tech specs.

3.14 x 3.14 x 1.65 inches // 80 x 80x 42mm

WiFi 802.11b/g/n

Gramofon comes with the Gramofon app, featuring free streaming radio

Spotify Premium gives you 30 days free when you sign up and works with Gramofon

WahWah is a free radio service that works with Gramofon (the service will start in the USA, Spain and Brazil, and expand over time)

So here is your chance to be first. Back Gramofon. Get Gramofon. Meet the team. Get the collector's item.

And however you choose to be part of it...thank you for everything you have already done in building the movement.

We <3 WiFi.

We built the Gramofon with the same core technology as our Fon routers, which means the cloud music player is also a great WiFi hotspot. With the Gramofon, you get free WiFi in millions of places around the world.

Unlike most hotspots, with Gramofon you don't need to use passwords. Your friends can use their Facebook logins to connect automatically.

Making a New Kind of Wave.

Fon is about WiFi radio waves. So when we thought of working on music waves it was a big jump.

We started by building prototypes out of open source hardware and open source software like the Raspberry Pi. We built a fully working set of prototypes and played with the product for months with a small team in New York.

The building process.

Then about a year ago, we started getting more serious and set up a small team of engineers in Madrid and Bilbao. We began planning a device design that would feature social music features, incredible sound, and powerful WiFi capability all in the same package.

Early sketches by our Head of Product, Iurgi.

The team got really excited when the first prototypes began pumping out their favorite tracks from Spotify.

First prototype.

The heavy engineering came in as we rebuilt the entire product from the board up around a terrific chip from Qualcomm Atheros. With this chip, we were able to stream music and WiFi really well, fit it in a small, cool body, and get the whole product built at a really appealing price.

Inner details.

Risks and challenges

Delivery dates.

The estimated delivery date for the Gramofon is in line with our production schedule for a first run. While Fon is an established company that has shipped millions of WiFi devices, there is always a chance that we will encounter delays, as our production turnaround is tight (shipping in July). If there are any delays along the way, we will be very transparent with our backers, addressing all issues with care and immediacy. Additionally, the parties are pending attendees' schedule. We will keep you very much in the loop, but do know that you will get your Gramofon this July.

More Info About Delivery.

While we are hoping that people in every country around the world join our movement and pledge for Gramofon, there are regional licensing limitations. If this is the case, and we cannot send you a Gramofon due to your country's restrictions, we will immediately refund your pledge and keep you in the loop about when your country becomes available. Check our FAQs below to see which country we can ship to, guaranteed. We will keep you in the loop as this list grows, and cannot wait to get Gramofon to you.

FAQ

We can take pledges everywhere in the world. We have received a ton of questions related to shipping to countries not previously outlined here and, while we will be able to ship to most countries, some countries have specific importation or certification requirements. We might not be able to meet all these at day one of availability.

However, we will do our best to accommodate all requests, and in specific cases might offer units with US power plug/certification! If for some reason, we will not be able to send to your country, or you’d prefer not to get a US unit, we will refund your pledge

No. Gramofon works with the music apps you love most. It is hassle free. That
said, you can download the Gramofon app, currently available for Android and
iOS7, to easily connect Gramofon to your existing WiFi and get 6 months of free radio
from our partner WahWah.

Nope. WiFi has high throughput so no matter what service you listen to, the
music will be crisp and clear. However, streaming quality depends on the speed
of the connection you are subscribed to with your ISP.

Your friends will be able to connect to your Gramofon by selecting the WiFi signal
called “GramofonWiFi.” When they open the browser in their device they will land
on a login page where they can log in using their Facebook or Google
credentials. If they are your friends on either of those services they will get
access automatically and then be redirected to download the app.

You can stream your favorite playlist through Spotify, or listen to the Gramofon
free radio service powered by WahWah, all directly through the cloud. We are
working to add many other music services—see above to check out who we are
looking to partner with!

1. You have to do this whole "pairing" thing. Not needed with Gramofon

2. You can only pair ONE phone per device. Not so with Gramofon

3. It's only like 25 feet range. Not so with Gramofon

4. It interrupts you when your phone does stuff like calls or alerts. Not so with Gramofon

5. Because your phone is the "source" of the music sending to the speaker, there is not true independence. Not so with Gramofon

6. You can only pair ONE speaker per phone. You can't send to 5 all around your house. Not so with Gramofon.

Gramofon is WiFi and extends WiFi and meshes with other Gramofons. WiFi means you can have a ton of people on the network at your house. WiFi means no pairing - just connect and use Facebook to log into the network.

Gramofon is running its own music server -- so some of the people with remote contorls can come and go and leave and switch off or run out of battery or make phone calls. Doesn't matter. Gramofon has all the smarts inside it.

Support this project

Select this reward

Pledge $1 or more
About $1.00

WE ARE ALL FONEROS. You backed Fon as we built the world's biggest wifi network together. Now back us as we make music social again together. GET YOUR NAME ON THE GRAMOFON SITE as one of the Foneros who started this movement.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $30 or more
About $30

FIRST / BLACK. If there's going to be a party, we know we'll find you at the center of the dance floor. You are backing the Gramofon first and in return you get the Gramofon first. We will cherry pick, package, and ship your box to you by hand, hot off the presses, FIRST. Before it even gets to the warehouses. Plus, get your name among the Foneros on the Gramofon site.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $40 or more
About $40

FIRST / WHITE. The Gramofon early bird in white--the most exclusive version of Gramofon we are offering. (Lucky you.) We will personally package and ship your box straight to your doorstep, FIRST. In all its beauty and glory. Plus, get your name among the Foneros on the Gramofon site.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $50 or more
About $50

EARLY / BLACK. When Fon got started we asked you to join the Fon movement. So now we thank you--you early adopters, gadget lovers, tech idealists--with a ticket into another amazing movement long before Main Street. You get a black Gramofon packaged in a box from the first factory run. Plus, get your name among the Foneros on the Gramofon site.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $60 or more
About $60

EARLY / WHITE. You want it first and in the ultra limited white edition. The party starts at your place but you never overlook the look. You get the first batch packaged in a box and shipped before anyone anywhere. Plus, get your name among the Foneros on the Gramofon site.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $80 or more
About $80

TWO GRAMOFONS FOR TWO ROOMS. €54.
Gramofon is at its best when meshed with another Gramofon. When you DJ, music can come out of both systems at once, or just one--you pick. If your place has more than one room, we think you are going to want this option. Choice of black or white. Shipping and VAT included. The retail price of Gramofon will be $99.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $150 or more
About $150

HOUSE PARTY GRAMOFONS -- FOUR. €108.
Multiple players, multiple DJs, multiple rooms. Sounds fun, right? Pledge for this reward and you will get FOUR Gramofons. Every room in the house. Boom. Choice of black or white. Shipping and VAT included. And remember, Gramofon will retail at $99.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

LONDON PARTY EDITION: Meet the CEO of Fon, Martin Varsavsky, at an exclusive party in London. And you get to be surprised by who else shows up. You also get a Gramofon (white or black) signed by Martin. Plus, get your name among the Foneros on the Gramofon site.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

NYC PARTY EDITION: Meet the CEO of Fon, Martin Varsavsky, at an exclusive party in New York City. And you get to be surprised by who else shows up. You also get a Gramofon (white or black) signed by Martin. Plus, get your name among the Foneros on the Gramofon site.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

MADRID PARTY EDITION: Meet the CEO of Fon, Martin Varsavsky, at an exclusive party in Madrid. And you get to be surprised by who else shows up. You also get a Gramofon (white or black) signed by Martin. Plus, get your name among the Foneros on the Gramofon site.